If your nonprofit has a newsletter, you would want to make it as fun and engaging as possible. E-newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with your donors and keep them updated on what your organization is doing to further your mission, but the problem is: they’re very common. Almost all nonprofits have newsletters, and if your organization isn’t able to stand out from all the rest, you’re falling behind.
With the help of an online software built especially for nonprofits, such as Salsa Labs, create newsletters that are appealing and engaging, and make your nonprofit look inspiring and actionable.
Use a Strong Subject Line
The first impression your newsletter makes when it lands in your supporters’ inbox would be through the subject line. This usually determines whether or not your donors will even open your email and read it. There is no definite formula for what makes a good subject line, but one tip is to test different lines and keep an eye on your statistics. There are many tools that let you see which emails were opened and which were not, and by testing different subject lines, you can get an idea of which ones were successful. Salsa Labs also has an excellent splitting tool to see open rates for subject lines.
This will, of course, depend on your audience as well, but if you keep it brief and spark curiosity within your supporters, you will be able to ensure that they open and read through your newsletters.
Keep the Newsletter Relevant
Your supporters are not your board members, so you wouldn’t want to make them read through statistics and information about the organization that is only relevant to board meetings. Give them information that they are interested in, and that is relevant to them, and let them know how their support has helped you accomplish your goals.
Mind Your Tone
In the era of social media, more and more people are less accustomed to receiving information in very formal terms. The trend is to be more conversational, but not too casual, and invoke a sense of personal affiliation within your supporters. Establish your conversational style and understand what kind of audience you are delivering your information, to be able to address them in a manner that suits them.
Call to Action
Newsletters aren’t just about the news; they are also about giving your supporters the chance to do something. By including a call to action at the end of all the information you’re providing, with a clear reason as to why they should take that step, you can ensure that you are gaining something out of the communication you’ve established. Stick to one call to action or your supporters may get overwhelmed and try to provide a measurable goal with it so that they can feel like their contribution is of measurable value.
Frequency
Infrequent newsletters can make your supporters lose interest. Create a schedule for you to send out your letters so that your supporters know when they can hear from you, and plan for the next few months to stay ahead of yourself.
Sally Nasr
Awni Shamah